Sarah Wild

Latest fact-checks

COMMENT: We need science journalists not press release cheerleaders

Science journalism, unlike science communication, exists to serve the reader. Getting it wrong can only undermine the public's trust in science.

GUIDE: How to craft accurate science journalism out of press releases

Some research press releases may be more about institutional reputation than science – and in depleted newsrooms, this inaccurate PR could become news. Here’s how to get the science straight.

Is South African president Ramaphosa correct about country’s ability to make vaccines?

President Ramaphosa claimed that South Africa has an established vaccine manufacturing capability and expertise. We checked his claims.

development

Spekboom

No, spekboom isn’t more effective than the Amazon rainforest at ‘sucking carbon’ out of the atmosphere

A popular social media challenge in South Africa asks people to plant 10 spekbooms each. This is justified by the claim that the plant can capture and store “more than four tonnes of carbon dioxide per year per hectare planted, making it more effective than the Amazon rainforest”.While evidence ...

Latest facts

#YouAsked

Education

What is the literacy rate in Zimbabwe?

Source

World Bank: Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - Zimbabwe

Short answer

What is the literacy rate in Zimbabwe?

The World Bank defines literacy as the “percentage of the population ages 15 and older that can, with understanding, both read and write a short simple statement on everyday life”. In 2021, Zimbabwe's literacy rate stood at 90%. ...

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#YouAsked

Economy

Which is Africa’s fastest-growing economy?

Source

African Development Bank biannual report: Africa’s economic growth to outpace global forecast in 2023-2024 – African Development Bank biannual report

Short answer

Which is Africa’s fastest-growing economy?

Africa’s top five fastest growing economies, which are projected to grow by more than 5.5% on average in 2023-2024, are Rwanda (7.9%), Côte d'Ivoire (7.1%), Benin (6.4%), Ethiopia (6.0%), and Tanzania (5.6%). ...

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#YouAsked

Crime & justice

Which province in South Africa has the highest murder rate?

Source

Third Quarter Crime Statistics 2022-2023

Short answer

Which province in South Africa has the highest murder rate?

According to the latest crime statistics for the third quarter of 2022/23, the Eastern Cape has the highest murder rate in the country at 22.5 per 100,000 people. This has significantly overtaken the murder rate in KwaZulu Natal. In the same period last year, the two provinces were level at 15 per 1...

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Crime & justice

Sex & gender

What is South Africa’s recorded rape rate?

Source

Third Quarter Crime Statistics 2022-2023

Short answer

What is South Africa’s recorded rape rate?

Between October and December 2022, South Africa recorded an alarming 12,419 rapes. This equates to a recorded rape rate of 20.3 per 100,000 people (based on the 2022 mid-year population estimates). ...

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